Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum What are your long-term goals?

It's an excellent question and one I've had to rework over the years. When I first started 8 years ago, I just wanted to be able play for myself. Then I tried to set the next goal to being able to play in public a little. Then I said maybe I could go pro. Then I said I should do a lot of regular gigs.

Well I've already achieved all the above so now I've set the next possible goal, which is tough, and that's to be actually good enough that really good players will want to play with me.

This is somewhat happening now because some really good musician joined my band (a retired old timer that used to be with Earth Wind and Fire). Well, he's probably just tolerating us because I get him the gigs, but I'm working hard to make sure he doesn't become embarrassed playing with us. Lots more work to do.

In any case, you get the picture that my goals are now a moving target. I didn't realize how quickly I can achieve them with just a little dedication.

Maybe the next goal is produce a CD. All I have are live recordings right now. It's amazing that I've been able to do some of this. I'm no young guy and I'm living a little dream of getting a taste of a musician lifestyle that I've never had before.

I hope I encourage you all to set high goals and reach them!

My goal, to be able to sit down and play, fluently, without conscious effort, where my fingers just go where I want them or need them to be. For example to be able to play Lady Madonna in the way McCartney just sits down and hits it.

My long term goal is to eventually be able to play Chopin's 4th Ballade and La Campanella. Although in the short term I want to learn the rest of the Moonlight(Learnt the 1st, working on the 2nd right now).

Jazzwee....you have always done that. From the first time I read your posts on here. You have encouraged me.


I don't want to take this thread over. I must answer...


I appreciate the advise and encouragement. I respectfully don't want to discuss what I'm doing in writing on this thread. I just wish to stay within the OP's question. Anyone would have to admit. To compose with a piano is a high level of learning that instrument. May I refer you back to the top and jazzwee.

I lust, to be able to play like this:

I promised myself that I would not set any goals. Its a tough promise to keep, but I'm trying.

I've had a couple of false starts. I would get too goal driven and force myself to play x amount of time per day. Keeping spreadsheets of what I was doing, and start questioning my practice routine until, twice now, I burned out and stopped playing. I'm back playing again and promised myself no schedule, no need to play every day, no goals, just have fun. So far its worked out better, I'm playing more, progressing faster, and its just working out better overall. But I'm starting to think about goals and feeling conscious of days when I'm not as efficient as possible in my practice. Maybe I need to repeat several times each day, no goals, no goals.

For those that want to compose, I initiated a thread on the composer's forum about getting started. For every person that expresses the wish in public there are usually another 10 or 20 reading along that share that desire.

https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2034706/Getting%20started,%20advice%20for%20be.html#Post2034706

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Same here Toastie. Then there is the dream....to one day be able to play something by Chopin, but a dream is all it will be. Will have to settle for a pop song.

My mid-to-long term goals (within the next five or so years) include learning a complete classical sonata and entering Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Master of Church Music program (for students without an undergrad music degree). I don't know how realistic either of those are, but that's what I'm currently shooting for =)

I started playing again in earnest about the time I signed up for this forum. I had dreams at that time about playing multiple pieces (Rachmaninoff Preludes / Beethoven Sonatas), and I still have a list of "long term" pieces that I occasionally think about.

But, now that I'm coming up on 2 years of formal lessons, I find myself concerned less and less with long term goals and more focused on enjoying pieces, playing well, and having fun. I find pieces that sound interesting / different and are just a little bit out of my skill range (generally with the help of my teacher). Sometimes I shoot too high and have to come back down, other times I manage to muddle through.

Oddly enough, the more I focus on pieces for today in the style(s) I like and find interesting, the faster I've advanced. I think being too focused on (currently!) unrealistic pieces just had me frustrated and not practicing as much.

My goal is to be able to play a 5 or 6 Joplin rags from memory. I have 1 so far! (Weeping Willow.) I use to be able to play Entertainer from memory, but it has slipped to the great beyond.......I have been working on Non Pariel for about 4 or 5 weeks. I hope to be able to play it reasonably well in a few more weeks, but memorizing it will take time. I'm guessing it will take another year or 2 to achieve that goal. I heard a rumor that other composers (besides Joplin) actually exist....so I may venture off into the wild and learn something different after I am satisfied that I have butchered enough Joplin pieces.

Wow! Doing Weeping Willow so quickly is fantastic progress!

In regards to other composers, ragtime has what is called the Big Three--one king and two princes. Joplin is the king and Joseph Lamb and James Scott are considered the princes. You'll definitely want to explore their rags. Seek out Rudi Blesh's "Classic Piano Rags" to get some good Lamb and Scott rags, as well as rags by other composers. The used edition has more pieces in it than the reprint. You can also usually find PDFs online for most non-obscure rags.

I'd be happy to chat ragtime with you. Just send me a private message.